December 7, 2010

Mint-Chocolate Bottom Shortbread Cookies

These cookies have been on my mind for a while. You see, 10 months out of the year I make a pretty concerted effort to eat healthy. Obviously I splurge sometimes, many posts on this blog can attest to that, but for the most part I try to limit the really high fat/calorie foods to only a few times a month. But then Thanksgiving comes around and I go absolutely nuts. Did you know that the mashed potatoes I made had butter, half and half AND cream cheese. Yeah. And I didn’t feel even slightly guilty for eating them. Because they were damn good. There’s just something about the period from Thanksgiving until New Year when I just don’t care. I want to eat all my favorite foods no matter how unhealthy they are and the guilt I usually have isn’t there anymore.

So when everyone was talking about cookies last week on twitter it made me realize how much I’ve been wanting to make these. I made them a couple of years ago and every time I go through my recipe binder I think about making them again. Finally, with Cookie Week and my guilt on vacation, it was the perfect time.

I decided to play with the original recipe a bit, but it still has the same components: shortbread, chocolate, peppermint. I honestly can’t stand most of those bland sugar cookies that everyone seems to make this time of year, I’d much rather have delicious, buttery, shortbread. Each shortbread cookie has a layer of peppermint infused chocolate spread on the bottom. Then I lightly brushed a peppermint glaze on top that soaks into the shortbread and I sprinkled on some colored sugar. If you want to go extra peppermint crazy, you can stick two cookies together with a layer of peppermint filling in between!

If you think that sounds like too much peppermint, don’t worry because I used very small amounts of peppermint extract. Plus the buttery shortbread works well with the peppermint and doesn’t let it overpower the whole cookie. And you can always reduce the amounts to your own tastes. Or maybe even try another flavoring: I think orange extract would work really well.

These cookies are so good and highly addictive! I made them on Friday and Brandon and I had finished them off by Sunday. If you have lots of cookie lovers in your house, I would recommend doubling the recipe because they will go fast.

1/8 to 1/4 tsp.peppermint extract (start with 1/8 tsp. and taste it to see if you want more)

1 to 2 tbsp.milk

Colored sugar:

1/2 cupsugar

2-3 drops food coloring

Optional – Mint filling:

1 cuppowdered sugar

1/8 to 1/4 tsp.peppermint extract (start with 1/8 tsp. and taste it to see if you want more)

1 tbsp.milk

Process

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F). Line several cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Whisk together flour and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Cream the butter and powdered sugar with your mixer. Add in vanilla. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until well combined. The dough should start pulling away from the sides of the bowl and be able to form into a ball.

Chill in the fridge for 30-60 minutes.

Remove half the dough from the fridge. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough about 1/4 inch thick. Using your choice of cookie cutter, cut the cookies and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the cookie sheet in the fridge or freezer to chill for 10 minutes. Gather scraps of dough and put them back in the fridge to chill for at least 10 minutes before rolling out again. Repeat this step with the remaining chilled dough.

Place the chilled cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 8-12 minutes or until lightly golden. Rotate the cookie sheet halfway through for a more even bake. If you have smaller shaped cookies or ones with thin points, watch carefully because they will start to brown first and may need to be taken out earlier. (See recipe notes below.) Let sit on the pan for a minute and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

In a small pan or bowl, melt the semi-sweet and white chocolate over low heat or in the microwave. Stir until smooth. Either dip the bottom of each cookie in the chocolate or spread it over the bottom with a knife. Place on a pan or rack, chocolate side up, and set in the the fridge to harden.

Meanwhile, mix together sugar and food coloring in a small bowl. Set aside.

To make the glaze, stir together the powdered sugar, peppermint extract and milk until smooth. It should be very thin and milky, add more milk if necessary.

When the chocolate has hardened, flip the cookies over. Lightly brush the glaze on top of each cookie using a pastry brush. Sprinkle with colored sugar. Set aside to dry. Place in the fridge if you want to speed it up.

Optional – Sandwich Cookies

In a small bowl, stir the powdered sugar, peppermint extract and milk until smooth. The filling should be very thick but spreadable, add more powdered sugar if necessary.

Use a knife to spread the filling on top of the chocolate layer of each cookie. Top with another cookie, chocolate side down.

Recipe Notes

Make sure not to roll out the dough too thin. The thinner the cookie, the faster it will start to brown around the edges.

If your cookies have lots of small, pointed tips I recommend reducing the oven temperate to 375 degrees and baking for only 8-10 minutes. Watch them carefully to make sure the edges don’t start to burn.

I’m a huge fan of shortbread too – as well as peppermint and chocolate. I’m not sure how I never thought to put the three together! Terrific recipe and beautiful pictures!Caroline recently posted…Peppermint Icicle Candy

allmaxedout said:

I Love these cookies. I mad (2) double batches last year for Christmas and they were a huge hit with me and my family. I used Wilton brand Dark Chocolate Mint melts for the chocolate layer and experimented with sandwiching these with and without the glaze. I also coated one side with chocolate and laid flat to harden, then drizzled the top of the chocolate with the glaze. If you drizzle the “unfrosted” side, it absorbs the glaze and will become extra minty…which I liked. Every variation I made was just as addictive. It only took this recipe to make me a huge Back to the Cutting Board fan! Thanks Emily!

I’m glad you liked the recipe! I think this is my still my favorite Christmas cookie recipe (though I’m about to post a new one on Monday, that’s a really close second). I plan on making these again soon and I can’t wait to try your tips. Thanks for letting me know!